Harry Potter and the Heir to the Ministry
by Langdon
Summary: The Thrawn Trilogy replaced with Harry Potter characters. Sequel to other stories I have done like this.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas**

HARRY POTTER

HEIR TO THE MINISTRY

It's five years after the Battle

of Black Forest. Dumbledore's

Army has destroyed the

Riddle House, defeated Severus

Snape and the Dark Lord,

and driven the remnants of

the old Ministry Starfleet

to a distant corner of the

galaxy. Princess Hermions

and Ron Weasley are married and

expecting Auror twins. And

Harry Potter has

become the first in a long-

awaited line of Auror

Knights.

But thousands of light

years away, the last of the

Dark Lord's warlords has

taken command of the

shattered Ministry fleet,

readied it for war, and

pointed it at the fragile heart

of the CONFEDERATION

OF WIZARDS.

For this DARK WARRIOR

has made two vital

discoveries that could

destroy everything the

courageous men and

women of Dumbledore's

Army fought so hard to

build. . . .


	2. Dramatis Personae

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or Timothy Zahn**

Here are the characters in this story:

**Luke Skywalker - Harry Potter (age 28), Auror Knight**

**Han Solo - Ron Weasley (age 38), Captain of the _Ford Anglia_**

**Leia Organa Solo - Hermione Granger Weasley (age 28), Senator of Scotland**

**Lando Calrissian - Draco Malfoy (age 40), entrepreneur**

**C-3PO (Threepio) - W-PRC (Percy) (age 43), prefect droid**

**R2-D2 (Artoo) - HD-WG (Hedwig) (age 42), messenger droid**

**Chewbacca - Rubeus Hagrid (age 209), co-pilot of the _Ford Anglia_**

**Gilad Pellaeon - Evan Rosier (age 60), captain of the _Death Eater_**

**Mitth'raw'nuruodo (Thrawn) - Albert Runcorn (age 56), Ministry Grand Admiral**

**Talon Karrde - Mundungus Fletcher (age 40), smuggler chief, captain of the _Wild Dung_**

**Mara Jade - Ginny Weasley (age 26), smuggler, Fletcher's second-in-command**

**Wedge Antilles - Neville Longbottom (age 30), Rogue Leader, Confederation Commander**

**Rukh - Amarillo (age 31), bodyguard**

**Joruus C'Baoth - Reguluus Black (age 79), insane Dark Auror clone**

**Borsk Fey'lya - Zacharias Smith (age 40), Senator of Hufflepuff**

**Mon Mothma - Molly Prewett (age 57), Minister for Magic**

**Gial Ackbar - Admiral Murcus (age 53), Confederation Supreme Commander**

**Judder Page - Jimmy Peakes (age 32), Confederation commando**

**Sturm and Drang - Fluffy and Fang (ages unknown), hellhounds**

**Khabarakh clan Khim'bar - Sanguini clan Worple (age 21), Ministry commando**

**Ralrracheen - Karkus (age 210), ambassador**

**Salporin - Aragog (209), Hagrid's childhood friend**

**Aves - Michael Corner (age 34), smuggler in Fletcher's organization**

**Cris Pieterson - Theodore Nott (age 28), Ministry officer**

**Colclazure - Warrington (age 48), Ministry ensign**

**Afyon - Captain Diggory (age 53), Confederation captain**

**Dravis - McLaggen (age 38), smuggler**

**Zakarisz Ghent - Louis Weasley (age 20), slicer in Fletcher's organization**

**Winter - Parvati (age 29), handmaiden to Senator Granger Weasley**

**Obi-Wan Kenobi - Sirius Black (deceased), Auror Master and General**

**Palpatine - Dark Lord Voldemort (deceased), Dark Lord of the Death Eaters, Dark Lord of the New Ministry**

******_Planets:_**

******Coruscant - London**

**Dagobah - Mould-on-the-Would**

**Abregado-rae - Knockturn Alley**

**Nkllon - Hogsmeade**

******Kashyyyk - Minx**

**Bimmisaari - Ravenclaw Tower**

**Myrkr (Hyllyard City) - Athens**

**Obroa-skai - Flourish-Blotts**

**Bpfassh - Durmstrang**

**Sluis Van - Nimbus**

**Tatooine - Surrey**

**Wayland (Mount Tantiss) - Horcrux (Inferi Cave)**

**Honoghr - Transylvania**

**Jomark - Grimmauld Place**

**__****Millenium Falcon ****-**** _Ford Anglia_**

******_Chimaera _- _Death Eater_**

******_Wild Karrde _- _Wild Dung_**

******_Lady Luck _- _Nimbus 2001_**

******X-wing - Firebolt**

******Skipray Blastboat - Cleansweep**

_******Species**_******:**

**********Human - Human**

**Wookiee - Half-Giant**

**Bothan - Hufflepuff**

**Mon Calamari - Merpeople**

**Elom - Crouch**

**Bimm - Ravenclaw**

**Noghri - Vampire**

**Chiss - Pureblood**

**Corellian - Otterian**

**Tatooinian - Surreyan**

**Alderaanian - Scot**

******Jedi - Auror**

**Vornskr - Hellhound**

**Ysalamar - Bowtruckle**


	3. Grand Admiral Runcorn

**Disclaimer: I am not Timothy Zahn or J.K. ****Rowling.**

_Enter the _Death Eater _with her crew, including Captain Evan Rosier._

**First Lieutenent's Voice. **Captain Rosier. Message from the sentry line: the scout brooms have just come out of Apparition.

**Rosier. **_[gesturing to the schematics display] _Trace this line for me.

**Second Lieutenent. **Sir . . .

**Rosier. **I heard him. You have an order, Lieutenent.

**Second Lieutenent. **Yes, sir.

_The Lieutenent keys the trace._

_Enter First Lieutenent._

**First Lieutenent. **Captain Rosier. Uh, sir -

**Rosier. **This is not a cattle market in Hogsmeade Village, Lieutenent. This is the bridge of a Ministry Cruiser. Routine information is not - repeat not - simply shouted in the general direction of its intended recipient. Is that clear?

**First Lieutenent. **Yes, sir.

**Rosier. **Now. Report

**First Lieutenent. **Yes, sir. We've just received word from the sentry brooms, sir: the scouts have returned from their scan raid on the Flourish-Blotts region.

**Rosier. **Very good. Did they have any trouble?

**First Lieutenent. **Only a little, sir. The natives apparently took exception to them pulling a dump of their central library system. The wing commander said there was some attempt at pursuit, but that he lost them.

**Rosier. **I hope so. Have the wing commander report to the bridge ready room with his report as soon as the brooms are aboard. And have the sentry line go to yellow alert. Dismissed.

**First Lieutenent. **Yes, sir.

_Exit First Lieutenent._

**Rosier. **_[aside] _Oh, that young lieutenent is where our problem lies. In the old days, at the height of our power, it would have been inconceivable for a man so young to serve as a bridge officer aboard a cruiser like the _Death Eater_. Now the cruiser has virtually no one aboard except young men and women. It fills me with anger to think about what has happened to our once proud fleet. Much of it lies with Riddle. There had been many of us who saw the Dark Lord's Malfoy Manor as a blatant attempt to bring our vast military power more tightly under his direct control, just as he had done with the Ministry's political power. Much of the fault lies with him. And the fact that he ignored the weapon's proven vulnerability and gone ahead with that Riddle House . . . Would anyone truly miss the Dark Lord, had he not taken with him the great _Half-Blood Prince_, the mighty cruiser of the late Severus Snape where our greatest soldiers were employed? No. Probably not. But we have never quite recovered from the fiasco known as the Battle of the Black Forest.

_Rosier turns away from the bridge._

But we're not dead yet, as the arrogant Confederation of Wizards will soon realize. Our last hope, the leader known as Runcorn, has returned. _[to the officers] _Continue tracing those lines. I'll be back shortly.

_Exit all but Rosier._

Captain Rosier to see Grand Admiral Runcorn. I have informa -

_Enter Amarillo._

**Amarillo. **Captain Rosier.

**Rosier. **_[jumping back] _Blast it, Amarillo. What do you think you're doing?

**Amarillo. **I'm doing my job. _[reveals assassin's knife] _You may enter.

**Rosier. **_Thank _you.

_Enter Grand Admiral Runcorn, a blue-skinned being with glowing eyes, in a room filled with art._

**Runcorn. **Come in, Captain. What do you think?

**Rosier. **It's . . . very interesting, sir.

**Runcorn. **All portraits, of course. The sculptures and flats both. Some of them are lost. Many of the others on on regions occupied by Dumbledore's Army.

**Rosier. **Yes, sir. I thought you'd want to know, Admiral, that the scouts have returned from the Flourish-Blotts region. The wing Commander will be ready for debriefing in a few minutes.

**Runcorn. **Were they able to tap into the central library system?

**Rosier. **They got at least a partial dump. I don't know yet if they were able to complete it. Apparently there was some attempt at pursuit. The wing Commander thinks he lost them though.

**Runcorn. **No. No, I don't believe he has. Particularly not if the pursuit were from Dumbledore's Army.

**Rosier. **Yes, sir. I've ordered the sentry line onto yellow alert. Shall we go red?

**Runcorn. **Not yet. We should still have a few minutes. Tell me, Captain, do you know anything about art?

**Rosier. **_[caught off guard] _Ah. Not very much, sir.

**Runcorn. **You should make the time. _[indicates the portraits] _Peverell paintings. Circa 1550 to 2200 Pre-Ministry date. Note how the style changes, right here, at the first contact with Death. Over there, are examples of Gaunt extrassa art. Note the similarities with the early Peverell work, and also the mid-eighteenth-centry pre-Ministry Slytherin flatsculp.

**Rosier. **Yes. I see. Admiral. Shouldn't we be . . .

**First Lieutenent's Voice. **Bridge to Grand Admiral Runcorn. Sir. We're under attack.

**Runcorn. **This is Runcorn. Go to red alert, and tell me what we've got. Calmly, if possible.

**First Lieutenent's Voice. **Yes, sir. Sensors are picking up four Confederation assault frigates. Plus at least three wings of Firebolt broomsticks. Symmetric cloud-V formation, coming in on our scout brooms' vector.

**Rosier. **Run engines to full power. Prepare to make the jump to Apparition.

**Runcorn. **Belay that jump order, Lieutenent. Ministry broom crews to their stations. Activate Shield Charms.

**Rosier. **Admiral . . .

**Runcorn. **Come here, Captain. Let's take a look, shall we? Fortunately, the scout brooms have enough of a lead not to be in danger themselves. So. Let's see exactly what we are dealing with. Bridge. Order the three nearest sentry brooms to attack.

**First Lieutenent's Voice. **Yes, sir.

_Old Ministry and New Ministry forces engage._

**Runcorn. **Excellent. That will do, Lieutenent. Pull the other two sentry brooms back, and order the Sector Four line to scramble out of the invaders' way.

**First Lieutenent's Voice. **Yes, sir.

**Rosier. **Shouldn't we at least signal the rest of the fleet? The _Basilisk _could be here in twenty minutes, most of the others in less than an hour.

**Runcorn. **The last thing we want to do right now is bring in more of our ships, Captain. After all, there _may _be survivors, and we wouldn't want Dumbledore's Army learning about us. Would we. _[to First Lieutenent] _Bridge. I want a twenty-degree port yaw rotation. Bring us flat to the invaders' vector, superstructure pointing at them. As soon as they're within the outer perimeter, the Sector Four sentry line is to reform behind them and jam all transmissions.

**First Lieutenent's Voice. **Yes, sir. Sir . . .

**Runcorn. **You don't have to understand, Lieutenent. Just obey.

**First Lieutenent's Voice. **Yes, sir.

**Rosier. **I'm afraid I don't understand either, Admiral. Turning our superstructure toward them . . .

**Runcorn. **Watch and learn, Captain. _[to First Lieutenent] _That's fine, bridge. Stop rotation and hold position here. Drop docking bay Shield Charms, boost power to all others. Ministry broom squadrons. Launch when ready. Head directly away from the _Death Eater_ for two kilometers. Then sweep around in open cluster formation. Backfire speed. Zonal attack pattern.

**First Lieutenent's Voice. **Yes, sir.

**Runcorn. **Do you understand me now, Captain?

**Rosier. **I'm afraid not. I see now that the reason you turned the cruiser was to give the brooms some exit cover, but the rest is nothing more than a classic Parkin's Pincer. They're not going to fall for anything that simple.

**Runcorn. **On the contrary. Not only will they fall for it, they'll be utterly destroyed by it. Watch, Captain. And learn.

_The tactic works as the Firebolts fly after the Ministry brooms._

**Rosier. **What in the Ministry are they doing?

**Runcorn. **They're trying the only defense they know of against a Parkin's Pincer. Or, to be more precise, the only defense they are psychologically capable of attempting. You see, Captain, there's a Crouch commanding that force. And the Crouches simply cannot handle the unstructured attack profile of a properly executed Parkin's Pincer.

**Rosier. **_[with understanding] _That sentry broom attack a few minutes ago. You were able to tell from _that _that those were Crouch brooms?

**Runcorn. **Learn about art, Captain. When you understand a species' art, you understand that species. _[to First Lieutenent] _Bridge. Bring us to flank speed. Prepare to join the attack.

_The battle ends after an hour. _

_Runcorn and Rosier study the data._

**Rosier. **Sounds like Flourish-Blotts is a dead end. There's no way we'll be able to spare the manpower that much pacification would cost.

**Runcorn. **For now perhaps. But only for now.

**Rosier. **Admiral?

**Runcorn. **It's the second piece of the puzzle, Captain. The piece I've been searching for now for over a year. _[to First Lieutenent] _Bridge. This is Grand Admiral Runcorn. Signal the _Basilisk_. Inform the Captain we'll be temporarily leaving the fleet. He's to continue making tactical surveys of the local regions and pulling data dumps whenever possible. Then set course for a region called Athens. The navicomputer has its location. _[to Rosier]_ You seem lost, Captain. I take it you've never heard of Athens.

**Rosier. **Should I have?

**Runcorn. **Probably not. Most of those who have been smugglers, malcontents, and otherwise useless dregs of the world. _[drinks from his flask] _I ran across an offhand reference to it some seven years ago. What caught my eye was the fact that, although the region has been populated for at least three hundred years, both the Old Ministry and the Aurors of that time had always left it strictly alone. What would you infer from that, Captain?

**Rosier. **That it's a frontier region, somewhere too far away for anyone to care about.

**Runcorn. **Very good, Captain. That was my first assumption too, except that it's not. Athens is, in fact, no more than 150 light years from here, close to our border with Dumbledore's Army and well within the Old Ministry's boundaries. No. The actual explanation is far more interesting. And far more useful.

**Rosier. **And that explanation became the first piece of this puzzle of yours?

**Runcorn. **_[smiling] _Again, Captain, very good. Yes. Athens - or more precisely, one of its indigenous animals - was the first piece. The second is on a region known as Horcrux. A region for which, thanks to the Flourish, I finally have a location.

**Rosier. **I congratulate you. May I ask just what exactly this puzzle is?

**Runcorn. **_[with a cold smile] _Why, the only puzzle worth solving, of course. The complete, total, and utter destruction of Dumbledore's Army.


	4. Sirius's Final Farewell

**Disclaimer: I am not Timothy Zahn or J.K. ****Rowling.**

_Enter Harry Potter, Auror Knight, dreaming on London. He approaches his old childhood home on Surrey._

_Enter the ghost of Sirius Black, Auror Master and General._

**Ghost. **Harry?

**Harry. **Hello, Sirius. Been a long time.

**Ghost. **It has indeed. And I'm afraid it will be longer still until the next time. I've come to say good-bye, Harry.

**Harry. **_[aside] _Wait. This is a dream. I am asleep at the Ministry Headquarters in London.

**Ghost. **_[reading his thoughts] _No. I'm not a dream. But the distances separating us have become too great for me to appear to you in any other way. Now, even this last path is being closed to me.

**Harry. **No. You can't leave us, Sirius. We need you.

**Ghost. **_[raises eyebrow and smiles] _You don't need me, Harry. You are an Auror, strong in the Magic. _[smile fades] _At any rate, the decision is not mine to make. I have lingered too long already, and can no longer postpone my journey from this life to what lies beyond.

**Harry. **_[aside] _Like with Albus. "Strong am I in the Magic. But not that strong."

**Ghost. **_[senses his thoughts] _It is the pattern of all life to move on. You, too, will face this same journey one day. You are strong in the Magic, Harry, and with perseverance and discipline you will grow stronger still. But you must never relax your guard. The Dark Lord is gone, but the dark side is still powerful. Never forget that.

**Harry. **I won't.

**Ghost. **_[smiles] _You will yet face great dangers, Harry. But you will also find new allies, at times and places where you expect them least.

**Harry. **New allies? Who are they?

_Sirius's image grows faint._

**Ghost. **And now, farewell. I loved you as a son, and as a student, and as a friend. Until we meet again, may the Magic be with you.

**Harry. **Sirius.

_Exit Sirius._

_[aside] _Then I am alone. I am the last of the Aurors.

**Ghost's Voice. **_[faint and indistinct] _Not the first of the old Aurors, Harry. The first of the new.

_Exit Sirius for as long as Harry lives._


	5. Harry and Percy

**Disclaimer: I am not Timothy Zahn or J.K. ****Rowling.**

_Harry awakes in the Ministry Headquarters._

_Enter W-PRC (Percy)._

**Harry. **I'm over here, Percy.

**Percy. **Hello, Master Harry. I'm terribly sorry to disturb you.

**Harry. **That's all right. I just wanted some fresh air. That's all.

**Percy. **Are you certain? Though of course I don't mean to pry.

**Harry. **_[smiles] _I'm just a little depressed, I guess. Putting together a real, functioning government is a lot harder than I expected. Harder than most of the Wizengamot members expected too. Mostly, I guess I'm missing Sirius tonight.

**Percy. **He was always very kind to me. And also to Hedwig, of course.

**Harry. **You a unique perspective to the universe, Percy.

**Percy. **I hope I didn't offend you, sir. That was certainly not my intent.

**Harry. **You didn't offend me. As a matter of fact, you might have just delivered Sirius's last message to me.

**Percy. **I beg your pardon?

**Harry. **_[sips his drink] _Governments and entire regions are important, Percy. But when you sift everything down, they're all just made up of people.

**Percy. **O.

**Harry. **In other ways, an Auror can't get so caught up in matters of global importance that it interferes with his care for individual people. _[smiles] _Or for individual prefects.

**Percy. **O. I see, sir. Forgive me, sir. But may I ask what that is that you're drinking?

**Harry. **This? _[glances at the cup] _It's just something Draco taught me how to make a while back.

**Percy. **Draco?

**Harry. **Yes. But in spite of its shady origin, it's actually quite good. It's called pumpkin juice.

**Percy. **O. I see. Well, then, sir. If you are indeed all right, I expect I should be on my way.

**Harry. **Sure. By the way, what made you come up here in the first place?

**Percy. **Princess Hermione sent me, of course. She said you were in some kind of distress.

**Harry. **Show-off.

**Percy. **I beg your pardon, sir.

**Harry. **Hermione's showing off her new Auror skills. That's all. Proving that even in the middle of the night she can pick up my mood.

**Percy. **She really did seem concerned about you, sir.

**Harry. **I know. I'm just joking.

**Percy. **O. Shall I tell her you're all right, then?

**Harry. **Sure. And while you're down there, tell her that she should quit worrying about me and get herself back to sleep. Those bouts of morning sickness she still gets are bad enough when she isn't worn-out tired.

**Percy. **I'll deliver the message, sir.

**Harry. **And tell her I love her.

**Percy. **Yes, sir. Good night, Master Harry.

**Harry. **Good night, Percy.

_Exit Percy._


	6. Hermione Worries About Harry

**Disclaimer: I am not Timothy Zahn or J.K. ****Rowling.**

_Enter Hermione Granger Weasley, Senator on the Wizengamot._

**Hermione. **_[to unborn children] _It's all right. It's all right. I'm just worried about your Uncle Harry. That's all.

_Enter Parvati, a handmaiden and former DA agent_

**Parvati. **Your Highness? Are you all right?

**Hermione. **Come on in, Parvati. How long have you been listening at the door?

**Parvati. **I haven't been listening. I saw the light coming from under your door and thought you might need something.

**Hermione. **I'm fine.

**Parvati. **Can I get you some more milk, Your Highness. Or some crackers.

**Hermione. **No. Thank you. My stomach really isn't bothering me at the moment. It's . . . well, you know. Harry.

**Parvati. **The same thing that's been bothering him for the past nine weeks?

**Hermione. **Has it been that long?

**Parvati. **You've been busy.

**Hermione. **_[dryly] _Tell me about it. I don't know, Parvati. I really don't. He told Percy that he misses Sirius Black, but I can tell that's not all of it.

**Parvati. **Perhaps it has something to do with your pregnancy. Nine weeks ago would put it just about right.

**Hermione. **Yes. I know. But that's also about the time Molly Prewett and Admiral Murcus were pushing to move the government seat here to London. Also about the time we started getting those reports from the borderlands about some mysterious tactical genius having taken command of the Ministry fleet. Take your pick.

**Parvati. **I suppose we'll just have to wait until he's ready to talk to you. Perhaps Captain Weasley will be able to draw him out when he returns.

**Hermione. **Maybe. In the meantime, we'd better both get some sleep. We have a busy day tomorrow,

**Parvati. **_[raises eyebrow] _There's another kind?

**Hermione. **Now, now. You're far too young to become a cynic. I mean it now. Off to bed with you.

**Parvati. **You're sure you don't need anything first?

**Hermione. **I'm sure. Go on. Scat.

**Parvati. **All right. Good night, Your Highness.

_Exit Parvati._

**Hermione. **_[to her unborn children] _Good night to you two, too.

_Hermione falls asleep._


	7. Ron and McLaggen

**Disclaimer: I am not Timothy Zahn or J.K. ****Rowling.**

_Enter Ron Weasley and Rubeus Hagrid, in the Leaky Cauldron._

**Hagrid. **_[growls softly]_

**Ron. **Don't worry. He'll be here. It's just McLaggen. I don't think he's ever been on time for anything in his whole life.

_Enter Cormac McLaggen._

**McLaggen. **Hello, Weasley.

**Ron. **Well, hello, McLaggen. Long time, no see. Have a seat.

**McLaggen. **_[with a grin] _Sure. Soon as you and Hagrid both put your hands on the table.

**Ron. **O! Come on. You think I'd invite you all the way here just to shoot at you? We're old buddies, remember?

**McLaggen. **Sure we are. Or at least we used to be. But I hear you've gone respectable.

**Ron. **Respectable's such a vague word.

**McLaggen. **O! Well, then let's be specific. I hear you joined Dumbledore's Army, got made a general, married a former Scottish princess, and got yourself a set of twins on the way.

**Ron. **Actually I resigned the general part a few months back.

**McLaggen. **_[snorts] _Forgive me. So what's all this about? Some kind of warning?

**Ron. **What do you mean?

**McLaggen. **Don't play innocent, Weasley. Confederation replaces Ministry, all fine and sweet and dandy, but you know as well as I do that it's all the same to smugglers. So if this is an official invitation to cease and decist our business activities, let me laugh in your face and get out of here.

**Ron. **It's nothing like that. As a matter of fact, I was hoping to hire you.

**McLaggen. **What?

**Ron. **You heard right. We're looking to hire smugglers.

**McLaggen. **Is this something to do with your fight with the Ministry? Because if it is . . .

**Ron. **It isn't. There's a whole spiel that goes along with this, but what it boils down to is that the Confederation of Wizards is short of cargo brooms at the moment, not to mention experienced cargo broom fliers. If you're looking to earn some quick and honest money, this would be a good time to do it.

**McLaggen. **Uh-huh. So what's the catch?

**Ron. **No catch. We need brooms and fliers to get international trade going again. You've got 'em. That's all there is to it.

**McLaggen. **So why work for you and your pittance directly? Why can't we just smuggle the stuff and make more per trip?

**Ron. **You could do that. But only if your customers had to pay the kind of tariffs that would make hiring smugglers worthwhile. In this case, they won't.

**McLaggen. **O! Come on, Weasley. A brand-new government, hard-pressed like crazy for cash, and you want me to believe they won't be piling tariffs on top of each other?

**Ron. **Believe anything you want. Go ahead and try it, too. But when you're convinced, give me a call.

**McLaggen. **You know, Weasley, I wouldn't have come if I didn't trust you. Well, maybe I was curious, too, to see what you were pulling. And I might be willing to believe you on this, at least enough to check it out myself. But I'll tell you right up front that a lot of others in my group won't.

**Ron. **Why not?

**McLaggen. **Because you've gone respectable. That's why. O! Don't give me that hurt look. The simple fact is that you've been out of the business too long to even remember what it's like. Profits are what drives a smuggler, Weasley. Profits and excitement.

**Ron. **So what are you going to do instead, operate in the Ministry regions?

**McLaggen. **It pays.

**Ron. **For now, maybe. But their territory's been shrinking for five years straight, and it's going to keep getting smaller. We're just about evenly gunned now, you know, and our people are more motivated and a lot better trained than theirs.

**McLaggen. **Maybe. But maybe not. I hear rumors that there's someone new in charge out there. Someone who's been giving you a lot of trouble, like in the Flourish-Blotts region, for instance? I hear you lost a Crouch task force out there just a little while ago. Awfully sloppy, losing a whole task force like that.

**Ron. **Just remember that anybody who gives us trouble is going to give you trouble, too. And if you think the Confederation is hungry for cash, think of how hungry the Ministry must be right now.

**McLaggen. **It's certainly an adventure. _[gets to his feet] _Well, it really was nice seeing you again, Weasley, but I've gotta go. Say hi to your Princess for me.

**Ron. **Just give your people our offer, okay?

**McLaggen. **O! I will. Might even be some who'll take you up on it. You never can tell.

**Ron. **One other thing, McLaggen. Who exactly is the big fish in the pond now that Grawp's gone?

**McLaggen. **Well. I guess it's not really a secret. Mind you, there aren't any really official numbers. But if I were betting, I'd put my money on Mundungus Fletcher.

**Ron. **_[surprised] _Where can I find him?

**McLaggen. **_[smiles] _You'd like to know that, wouldn't you? Maybe someday I'll tell you.

**Ron. **McLaggen . . .

**McLaggen. **Gotta go. See you around, Hagrid. _[starts to turn and pauses] _Oh, by the way. You might tell your pal over there that he's got to be the worst excuse for a backup man I've ever seen. Just thought you'd like to know.

_Exit McLaggen_

**Hagrid. **_[growls]_

**Ron. **Well, what can you expect with Admiral Murcus sitting on the Wizengamot? The merpeople were death to smugglers even before the war, and everyone knows it. Don't worry. They'll come around. Some of them, anyway. McLaggen can blather all he wants about profit and excitement, but you offer them secure maintenance facilities, no Grawp-style skimming, and no one shooting at them, and they'll get interested. Come on. Let's get going.

_Enter Neville Longbottom._

I've got a message for you. I'm supposed to tell you that you're the worst excuse for a backup man that McLaggen has ever seen.

**Neville. **_[grins] _I thought that was the whole idea.

**Ron. **Yes. But McLaggen didn't. So where's Peakes, anyway?

_Enter Jimmy Peakes, a ICW commando._

**Peakes. **Right here, sir.

**Ron. **You see anything suspicious?

**Peakes. **_[shakes head] _No backup troops. No weapons other than his rifle. This guy must have genuinely trusted you.

**Ron. **Yeah. Progress. Let's get going. We're going to be late enough back to London as it is. And I want to swing through the Flourish-Blotts region on the way.

**Neville. **That missing Crouch task force?

**Ron. **Yeah. I want to see if they've figured out what happened to it yet. And if we're lucky, maybe get some idea of who did it to them.

_Exit all._


End file.
